American Beverage Licensees Celebrates Tavern Month

May 4, 2009

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Bethesda, MD – May 1, 2009 – For the 56th consecutive year, American Beverage Licensees (ABL) will celebrate Tavern Month this May, by once again toasting the thousands of bars and taverns that energize the economy, provide millions of jobs and enrich American social culture. ￼“Bar and tavern owners throughout the country do an outstanding job of offering comfortable places where folks can enjoy themselves in the company of friends,” said ABL executive director Harry Wiles. “This May we pause to appreciate the American tavern and those who continue to keep its spirit alive.”

Taverns hold a long and storied place in American society as they are traditional meeting places where people can gather with their friends and neighbors to shares stories of the day in a relaxed social atmosphere. Many are family-owned or independent operations that preserve the American culture of small business opportunity. For the modest way of life that they provide their proprietors, America’s taverns give back to their communities ten-fold in the form of jobs, taxes and entertainment.

Bar and tavern owners place an ever-increasing emphasis on responsibility when it comes to service and sales. Tavern owners use server training programs, as well as effective and innovative tools for age verification, crowd control and security. Taverns throughout the country also provide countless sponsorships for thousands of amateur sports teams and civic associations.

Bar and tavern owners are also active participants in the effort to prevent underage access to alcohol and stop drunk driving. Through public awareness campaigns, responsibility programs often coordinated with local law enforcement, and strict identification policies, bar and tavern owners and their employees are doing their part to address these issues.

This May, when you head down to the tavern for a beer, or are sharing a glass of chardonnay with friends at a wine bar, or are enjoying a scotch at your favorite cigar bar, take a moment to reflect on how your local bars and taverns help make life’s finer moments possible. Then hoist your glass and offer a toast to your local tavern, the “Friendliest Place in Town”.